The new syllabus of CA exams also gave students an unexpected surprise - the introduction of MCQs in exams. While many students would have given a thumbs up to the move, many would have frowned. Now with 4 terms of new syllabus exams behind us, let us see what the MCQs have done to the CA exams and the students...
The introduction of MCQs by ICAI was not very surprising personally since ICSI had already set the bar there. However, it does make the game of clearing the CA exams more spicy and fun, isn’t it? Now with a few papers have a component of 30 marks being devoted to MCQs, students will surely have to change their preparation as well as revision strategy. Tutors also will have to ensure their material and teaching style is as close to the ICAI modules as possible. Here I list down all these changes and more. Read on…
1) ICAI study modules have all of a sudden become very important now. In the pre- MCQs era, you could have become a CA without even opening the cover of the study material (not the practice manual, of course). This doesn’t feasible anymore as ICAI is giving MCQs from the most unsuspicious corners of their study materials. Imagine ICAI asking penalties in the garb of MCQs !! 2) Studying thoroughly becomes important. A superficial understanding of the subjects now would not be able to take the students too far in their exams. Most MCQs are being designed to test the application rather than just the knowledge. 3) Time management during the exams becomes more critical now. Ideally, one would want to believe that MCQs should be quicker because you don’t have to write paragraphs and pages on descriptive answers. But trust me, you are wrong to believe this. MCQs can take more time because it is either you know it, or you try to guess it, but in vain. There is no place for beating around the bush and trying to build on the concepts. This means you need to ride your luck (and your preparation!) to manage more than 25 correct answers from the 30 MCQs. 4) MCQs in DT will take a lot more time than you would have factored in. A little extra effort in double-checking the calculations or taking that extra second to try and remember provisions could end up with a nice 10 mins being shaved off from the total time left to complete the paper. 5) For those who find it difficult to write long and descriptive answers, it is a blessing in disguise (but only if you make it count!). Pick up 25-30 marks from the MCQs alone and suddenly you are staring at a very comfortable score of 50+ in the paper. 6) For those who find it easier to write long and descriptive answers, it is more painful now… They are now asking the same old 8 marker questions for 6 marks now, meaning you need to write the same content now for lesser marks. This also means that the remaining 70 marks of the paper would feel unduly long if your time management goes for a toss within the first half an hour of the exam.
7) And now the most threatening of all impacts – students now can leave any particular topic of the syllabus only at their own risk. Even for merely passing the paper, one would have to study the entire syllabus in the MCQs era.
8) Remember that there would be a whole lot of pre-formalities – writing your roll number and credentials on both the booklets, putting up stickers, etc – meaning that there is going to be loss of a time for everyone at the start of the exam. Only underlines the importance of time management during the exam.
Nevertheless, I would say that MCQs are just an additional weapon in the armoury of the ICAI for examining the potential of the CA aspirants before they launch themselves and turn their careers into something glorious. MCQs are definitely not something to be afraid of.
And if someone is still afraid of MCQs, ask someone who has appeared for JEE or CAT (which are 100% MCQ exams) – CA exam MCQs would start to feel much easier then!!
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